Tagged: babylon

Sexagesimal glyphs from the Babylonian numeral system of yore. Although perhaps only indirectly related to hexagons at first glance, this highly sophisticated counting system demonstrates the ancients's respect for the superior factoring abilities of multiples of 6 such as 6, 12, and 60 (doz. 6, 10, 50). Note well that the 60 numerals of the Babylonian system live on in our 60-minute hours, 60-second minutes, and 360-degree circles—the circle itself consisting of 6 "sides" of 60 units each.